Spring type connector wrench



May 12, 1959 w. G. scHlNsKE SPRING TYPE' CONNECTOR WRENCH 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed oct. 11, 195.4

hyena?? May 12v, 1959 Filed Oct. 11, 1954 G. SCHINSKE SPRING TYPE CONNECTOR WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O SPRING TYPE CONNECTOR WRENCH WilliamG. Schinske, Sycamore, lll., assignor to Ideal Industries, Inc., Sycamore, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application October 11, 1954, Serial No. 461,391

Claims. (Cl. 29-240.5)

structure and adapted to prevent relative rotation of the i coil. 4

Another object is a centering device on a wrench of the'above type, composed of a spring biased pin adapted to recede as the stripped ends of the wires are drawn into the coil.

Other objects will apear from time to time in the ensuing specication and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my new electric connector with a wrench, shown partly in section, for screwing the connector over the wires;

Figure 2 is an end view of the Wrench shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of a pair of electric wires joined together by my connector;

Figure 4 is a side View of the coil for joining the Wires together;

yFigure 5 is a view of one form of insulating cover usable around the joint;

Figure 6 is a modified form of the wrench;

Figure 7 is another form of the wrench;

Figure 8 is a side view of the modication shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a detail View in section on an enlarged scale of a variant form of wrench;

Figure 10 is a side view of a variant form of the coil connector; and

Figure l1 is another variation of the coil connector.

In Figure 1 a pair of electric leads are indicated gen-4 erally at 10 and 12, which have their ends stripped of 2,885,771 Patented May 12, 1959 and has an angular notch or groove 36 facing outwardly in the socket from a countersunk portion 37, the notch 36 conforming generally to the blunt end 24 of the coil. Thus the reduced diameter or shoulder 32 will center and guide the small end of the coil and will direct the blunt end 24 to the notch 36. A handle structure 38 is provided between the ends of the wrench extending outwardly from each side and connected to a pin 40, which in addition to serving as a connection for the handle, also holds the insert 34 in place. Another socket 42 is provided at the other end of the wrench. In detail its structure is the same as the socket 30. Its bore, however, has a different diameter and the various parts are of a different size, so that a dilerent size coil can be accommodated.

The coil can rst be positioned over the stripped end of the wires and then the socket is inserted around it. Rotation of the wrench vby use of the handle will screw the coil down onto the wires as it is prevented from slipping by the notch 36 contacting the blunt end 34. The coil will be forcefully rotated along the stripped ends until it connects the insulation, as shown in Figure 3, although rotation can be discontinued earlier. The wires 10 and 12 will be joined together in an etcient connection and can be covered by any suitable insulating means, such as the wrapper or cap shown in U.S. Patent No. Re. 23,649 and indicated at 41 in Figure 5.

A variant form of wrench is shown in Figure 6, which has four sockets at the ends of a cross-like wrench body. In this case four connector coil sizes could be accommodated, and each insert 43 is held in place by a suitable pin or rivet 44.

It should be understood that the inserts 34 may be removed and replaced in both Figures 1 and 6, if they become excessively worn after extensive use.

In Figure 7 I have shown a further modication of the wrench which is circular or disc-shaped, and is composed of two halves, 46 and 48, connected together by a suitable number of screws 50, or the like. The inner surfaces of these halves are suitably recessed to provide v sockets 52, which accommodate inserts 54 ina manner insulation as at 14 and 16. A tapered coil 18 has a large l end 20 with a diameter suicient to guide the stripped ends as they are inserted. The coil tapers to a small `end 22 with a diameter less than the bundle of stripped ends. Thus as the coil is turned around or screwed ontothe stripped ends, it will tightly bind them together to form an eficient electrical connection. The Wires 14 and 16 can be made of copper, or the like, so as to be softer than the material of the coil, so that threads will be formed on the surface of the copper wires. The coil has a blunt end 24 at its small diameter, for reasons to be set forth hereinbelow.

A wrench 26 in Figure 1 is used to force the coil around the copper wires. The Wrench is composed of a cylindrical body or tube 28 having a socket 30 at each p end. The diameter of the socket isgenerally the same as the diameter of the large end of the coil; however, this is by no means critical. The bore reduces in crosssection as at 32, so that the small end of the coil will be properly centered. An insert 34 is positioned in the bore `for centering the small end of the coil.

simi-lar to the Figure 6 modification. The inserts are vheld in place by suitable pins or rivets 55. The sockets are different sizes so that various coil connectors can be used with this wrench.

In Figure 9 I have shown a variation of the structure The insert in the wrench carries a pin 56 which is biased by a spring 58 and stopped by a shoulder 60. The pin projects onto the `socket and has substantially the same diameter as the small end of the connecting coil 18. The insert 61 has a` notch 62 for engaging the blunt end of the coil and is held` in place by a suitable set screw 64 or the like. The spring 58 is held in place by a threaded plug 66 which has a socket 67 to accept a wrench and a vent `opening 68.

'I'he centering pin fits into the small end of the coil toprevent it from skewing or canting in the socket. This guides the blunt end of the coil into the notch 62. As the stripped ends of the wires are drawn into the coil during rotation of the wrench, the pin can retract and will not prevent the wire from moving through the small end of the coil.

I have only referred to a rather uniformly tapered coil. However, the small end can be distended as at 70 in Figure 10. The notch in the insert to accommodate this distended end would be accordingly deepened. However, this structure insures a more positive contact between the wrench and the coil. l have found that a. coil of this nature will add a lgreat deal of life to the insert in the wrench.

In Figure l1 I have shown another coil form which has an expanded portion 72 at its small end. The diameter of this expanded portion is generally the same as the diameter of the large end. This expanded portion will therefore conform generally to the sides of the socket and will center the small end of the spring. The notchy for engaging the blunt end 74 would have to be spaced outwardly from the center of the insert and would possibly be directly next to the outer wall of the socket,

The use, operation and function of my invention are as follows:

I provide an electric connector in the form of a tapered coil. The spring may be uniformly tapered or it may be belled out or trumpet shaped. In any event, the small end is relatively blunt and is positioned generally adjacent the next to last turn.

The coil, whatever its form, can be turned down over the stripped ends of the Wires a few rotations and then linserted into the socket of the wrench. The notch in the insert in the wrench will engage the blunt end of the coil and will cause rotation of the coil as the wrench is being turned. When the coil is fully seated over the stripped ends of the wires, the wrench is withdrawn and the connection can be Wrapped or enclosed in any type of suitable insulation.

The Wrench is provided with an insert so that as the notch becomes worn through use, it can be replaced and renewed. I have only shown one notch. However `notches 180 apart could be provided so that the action of the wrench could be performed in a ratchet style.

The wrench in Figure 1 is usable with two sizes of coils. The forms of Figures 6 and 7 will accomodate four sizes. It should be understood that the Wrench in Figure 7 could have more or less sockets as desired. In each wrench the insert is replaceable. The spring biased centering pin in Figure 9 could be used in the wrenches in Figures 1, 6 and 7. The spring forms in Figures 10 and 11 are, of course, usable in the various Wrench forms; however, suitable modifications would have to be made to accommodate them. Even though I have shown the socket wrench in Fig- Vures l and 9 as shorter than the coil, it should be understood that the wall of the wrench that defines the socket could extend to the end of the coil and well beyond it, if desired. It should additionally be noted that the centering means, specifically the reduced diameter 32 in Figure 1 and the pin 56 in Figure 9, can be of such a size to assure engaggement of the blunt end of the spring with the notch but at the same time it should let the small end of the spring expand somewhat when the stripped end of the Wires enter the socket. For example, in Figure 1 if the confining wall binds the small end of the coil too tightly, the small end of the coil will not be able to expand when the stripped ends are forced into it. On the other hand, if the confining wall 32 is too large and the small end is loosely held, the bunt end 24 may not properly engage the notch 36.

It should also be understood that the insulated wires and 12 could be covered with a thin insulation which could be easily penetrated and cut directly by the coil so that it would not be necessary rst to strip the insulation from the ends. By the same token, the coil could be coated with any suitable material which would not hamper its expansion and contraction.

I have shown only two insulated wires; however, any amount could be used, and the wrench would form an electrical connection with any number of wires. I have stated that the coil forms threads on the stripped ends of wires and this is the present procedure; however, it is not absolutely necessary.

If the ends of the wires projectV through the coil as in Figure 3, they could be clipped off to prevent their sharp edges from damaging the covering means such as the cap in Figure 5, this, of course, is optional.

In each case the inserts could be heat treated in an appropriate manner for a longer life, if desired.

It should be noted that spring will expand as the stripped end of the wires enter the small end. The portion of the tool surrounding the small end should have enough play so that a large number of combination of wires can be inserted without the small end of the spring binding.

It should also be noted that by driving the spring at the small end, an unwinding force is being applied to it, this tends to expand the size of the spring so that when the wrench is removed, the spring tends to return to its normal tightly coiled condition and will more firmly hold the stripped end of the wires. The unwinding force applied to the spring also makes it easier for the spring to be turned down over the wires as the opening at the small end is expanded.

Whereas I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention and several modifications, it should be understood that numerous modications, alterations, substitutions, and changes can be made. With this in mind, I wish that the invention be unrestricted except as by the appended claims.

1. In a manually operable wrench for forcefully turning aV generally tapered coil, having a blunt wire end at the small end of the coil, around the stripped ends of a plurality of electric wires, a wrench body, a socket in the body having a bore adapted to receive the coil, small end first, an axially disposed abutment on a iirst reduced diameter portion in thebore for engaging the blunt wire end at the small end of the coil, the abutment and the reduced diameter being spaced from the opening of the bore so that at least a substantial portion of the tapered coil may be: inserted before the blunt wire end engages the abutment, and a second portion of reduced diameter adjacent the abutment and between the abutment and the opening of the bore for centering the small end of the coil to thereby align the blunt Wire end for rotary engagement with the abutment whereby, upon rotation of the wrench, the taperedcoil will be enlarged to permit the full insertion of the stripped ends of the Wires.

2. The structure of claim l further characterized by and including a removably mounted insert in the second reduced diameter portion of the bore spaced from the junction between the reduced diameter portion and the bore, the abutment being a part of the insert, and a cavity in the insert forming said first reduced diameter portion for receiving the part of the stripped ends of the Wires that project through the tapered coil when the coil is fully seated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,803,518 White May 5, 1931 1,816,282 Heyner et al. July 28, 1931 1,866,783 White July 12, 1932 2,229,758 Metcalf Jan. 28, 1941 2,390,524 Eckener Dec. 11, 1945 2,656,204 Boonestrand Oct. 20, 1953 

